


better place, better time

by koalakiers



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-19
Updated: 2020-07-19
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:01:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25384225
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/koalakiers/pseuds/koalakiers
Summary: Where years after breaking up, Stiles and Lydia find themselves in the same place again.
Relationships: Lydia Martin & Stiles Stilinski, Lydia Martin/Stiles Stilinski
Kudos: 19





	better place, better time

**Author's Note:**

> tw // mentions of drinking
> 
> this is an au inspired by "drunk girl" by chris janson.

Lydia wasn’t planning on staying and drinking as much as she had. She really only wanted to grab a drink and a quick bite to eat after work but she had run into a bachelorette party that insisted she come party with them. She wanted to say no but she couldn’t remember the last time she let herself just let go and have fun. Now it had been over and hour of going from bar to bar and downing shots with the other girls and though she paced herself, she knew she was tipsy. She finally excused herself from the group and headed towards the bar to get a bottle of water. She only made it a few steps away from the dance floor when she felt herself run into something hard. She looked up and her eyes immediately locked on his. Stiles. After a few seconds of just staring at each other he finally broke the silence between the two. “Hey, you alright?”  
Lydia shook her head, trying to shake the trance she felt like she was under. “Stiles! Hi! I’m… I’m good how are you?”  
He laughed and lightly licked his lip. “I uh… I kinda meant are you alright… like okay… because you ran into me. But thanks for asking, I’m good.”  
Lydia felt heat rise to her cheeks and it took everything in her to not literally face palm herself. “Right! Yeah! I knew that!”  
Stiles knew she was tipsy, it was pretty obvious, but he wasn’t sure if she was acting weird because of that or because he still made her nervous even after all these years. He hoped it was the latter because he still felt the same way around her.  
“Yeah so… anyways I’m gonna go.” Lydia turned quickly to walk away but his hand lightly enclosing around hers made her stop.  
“My friend is the DJ at this new club opening down the street tonight. Would you wanna come check it out with me?” He held his breath waiting for her answer. He wasn’t even really sure why he asked her but as soon as she turned to walk away all he knew was that he just wasn’t ready to say goodbye to her just yet.  
“Yeah. That sounds fun.”  
“Yeah?”  
“Yes! I need to go let my new friends know then we can go.” Stiles nodded his head and tried to keep himself from smiling too big as he trailed after Lydia towards the bachelorette party.  
“You’re new friends are an entire bachelorette party?”  
Lydia laughed and nodded her head. “Yeah they kinda took me under their wing tonight and made me party with them. It was actually pretty fun.”  
Stiles raised his eyebrows which didn’t go unnoticed by Lydia. “What?” Stiles shrugged his shoulder and stuck his hands in his pockets. “Nothing, nothing. I just didn’t think you were the partying type.”  
Lydia found herself taken aback by his comment and for some reason it made her angry that he was assuming things about her. “Well I’m not the same girl you used to know.”  
Stiles mentally cursed himself for making her upset and wanted nothing more than to look her in the eyes and apologize but they had finally made it across the bar and to the group of girls who all yelled in excitement and threw their arms around Lydia like they hadn’t just seen her five minutes ago.  
“I’m gonna head out. Thank you guys so much for tonight. I had a lot of fun!”  
One of the girls looked between Lydia and Stiles and grabbed Lydia’s arm pulling her closer. She tried to whisper but she was far too drunk to realize she was nearly yelling over the music.  
“Are you sure? Do you know this guy? Is he forcing you into something?” Stiles’s heart soared knowing these girls were still looking out for Lydia even in their intoxicated states.  
Lydia looked back at Stiles, a smile on her face and he sent her a questioning look. She wanted to laugh then and there at what the girl was implying. One look at Stiles and you could tell he was much too soft to ever take advantage of anyone.  
“Yes, yes, everything is fine! This is Stiles! We used to date in high school. We were just gonna go see his friend perform and catch up.” As she spoke she grabbed Stiles’s arm and brought him closer, causing him to take his hands out of his pockets when he stumbled from her unexpectedly pulling on him. She took advantage of this and grabbed his hand squeezing it lightly.  
He looked at their intertwined fingers and could help the smile that overtook his face. “Are you sure you guys can’t stay!”  
“Yeah Stiles, come party with us!”  
“Oh he’s kinda cute!”  
Lydia and Stiles both laughed at the girls and Lydia noticed Stiles blushing. “He is kinda cute isn’t he?” Stiles froze and looked down at the girl. Was she flirting with him? The girls all squealed in agreement and continued their pleas to get Stiles to stay. He just laughed and gently pulled Lydia away from the group. “Thank you girls but we really should get going. Have a nice night! Be safe!”  
Lydia and Stiles finally made it out of the bar and into the cool night air. They weren’t holding hands anymore but their arms still brushed together as they walked down the busy sidewalk.  
“So I’m just kinda cute?” Stiles teased as he lightly bumped Lydia’s arm with his own. She laughed and lightly hit him. “Oh shut up! I knew your ego couldn’t take it!”  
“You wound me Martin!” Lydia rolled her eyes and lightly shoved him, only causing him to laugh harder.  
——  
A few hours later they stumbled out of the club slightly sweaty and out of breath. They had talked to Stiles’s friend for a few minutes when they first got there then spent the rest of the night wandering back and forth from the bar to the dance floor. It was packed with people and constantly being shoved together was a little uncomfortable at first. Soon though, they got lost in each other, bodies pressed tightly together as they moved to the music and blinding lights, euphoria coursing through their veins.  
Stiles was laughing uncontrollably as they walked aimlessly down the street and Lydia was crossing her arms in annoyance.  
She had definitely had more drinks than Stiles and wasn’t thinking clearly. When a guy tried to get her dance with him and wasn’t taking no for an answer she punched him in the face… and broke his nose. Of course she believed he deserved it, and rightfully so, but security didn’t think the same. Stiles had returned from getting them another drink at the bar to see Lydia surrounded by security and a guy nearly in tears with blood pouring from his nose. He found the entire situation hilarious but Lydia was mad that she was now suspended from the club for three months.  
“Stiles! It’s not funny! I really liked seeing your friend perform and now I’m not even allowed in the club anymore!” She pouted and stomped her foot. She knew she was acting like a child but she was too drunk to care.  
“Okay, okay I’m sorry!” Stiles stopped in front of her and put his hands up in surrender. “It was totally badass though Lyd. Now I guess we’ll just have to come back and see him perform in a few months.”  
He wasn’t sure if she noticed that he called her by the nickname he used to use and implied that they’d still be hanging out in a few months but she didn’t mention anything about it and for that he was thankful.  
“Anyways, did you drive here? Where’s your keys?” He knew he couldn’t drive her home after drinking but he wanted to make sure she wouldn’t drive herself either.  
“Oh I just walked. My apartment is a few blocks from here.”  
“Lydia that’s dangerous! You can’t just walk alone.”  
“I’m a big girl Stiles. I can take care of myself. “ Stiles rolled his eyes at her defiance.  
“Let me walk you home.”  
“Thank you Stiles but really I’m fine.” She pushed past him and he stood watching her noticeably stumble a few steps. Her boot caught on the edge of the sidewalk and she nearly fell before he rushed forwards and caught her. Lydia sighed in annoyance, not wanting him to be right but she knew ultimately he was. “Okay fine. You can walk me home.”  
——  
The walk was only a few blocks but Lydia could barely make it a few steps without stumbling which caused them to laugh and walk significantly slower. Stiles took advantage of the extra time and made small talk for their entire walk. He missed it, teasing her, laughing with her, talking about anything and everything with her. After their breakup, they actively avoided each other for months even thought the split was amicable then coincidentally, they never ran into each other or ended up in the same place at the same time after that, until tonight.  
They finally made it back to Lydia’s apartment and Stiles had to take the keys from her and unlock the door after she unsuccessfully tried to get the key into the lock. He wasn’t sure if it was because he was teasing her on her inability to do so the whole time which made her laugh or if it was because she was really that drunk still.  
They finally made it inside and Lydia leaned against Stiles has he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. She instructed him on where to go and they finally made it into her bedroom. She flopped down on the bed and snuggled into her pillows struggling to stay awake.  
“Lyd. Hey. Where’s your Advil? And cups? Let me get you some water.” Stiles whispered as he crouched next to the bed and brushed her hair out of her face.  
“Umm… cups are in the kitchen… and medicine is in the bathroom.” Her words were more and more incoherent as sleep took over and Stiles sighed. “Thank you Lyd. That was so helpful.” He grumbled and stood up. He moved to her bathroom first and started looking for the advil. He hoped he would be thankful he found it and not pissed that he was basically looking through all her stuff. He finally found it in the third drawer he opened. He took out two pills and set them on her nightstand before moving to the kitchen and looking through the cabinets. Once he got her a glass of water he walked back to her room and set it on her nightstand as well. He was going to get her to take the medicine when he heard light snores escape her mouth and figured he’d let her sleep instead. He moved to the end of the bed, unzipping her boots and setting them beside her closet door. He carefully took her socks off, remembering when she told him years ago that she hated sleeping with socks on. Stiles grabbed a blanket off the chair in the corner of her room before laying it gently over her. He smiled as she snuggled deeper into her pillows.  
He moved to the kitchen next, setting her keys on the counter and grabbing the little notepad she used to write her grocery list on. He scribbled out a quick note and left it by her keys before walking back towards her room. He turned on her bathroom light and left the door cracked open allowing a stream of light to shine in her room. He figured if she got sick in the middle of the night she would not want to stumble to the bathroom in the dark.  
He looked at her one last time before leaving. Her hair was a mess spread across her pillows, her cheeks a light shade of pink from the effects of the alcohol, and he found himself taken aback by how beautiful she looked, even in that state. He smiled to himself and shook his head. Stiles wandered back down the hallway, opening the front door and twisting the bottom lock, before closing the door behind him. He twisted the handle, making sure it was locked, before walking the few blocks towards his apartment with a smile on his face.  
——  
Lydia awoke the next morning with her head pounding and she turned over to groan into her pillow. She looked over and saw Advil and water sitting on her nightstand and she furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. She didn’t remember putting them there but if she was being honest she didn’t remember much of last night at all. Lydia shrugged her shoulders and took them anyway before slowly dragging herself out of bed. She shuffled into the kitchen, pausing to look into a mirror and see the mascara smudged around her eyes and hair a frizzy mess. She threw her hair into a messy bun and rubbed her eyes some more before she noticed that her keys were sitting on the counter beside a note. She picked up the note and started reading it while taking out a few things to make breakfast.  
Hey Lyd,  
Not sure if you remember any part of last night but we ran into each other at the bar and hung out for a while after that. I hope you don’t mind me walking you home. I had a lot of fun last night Lyd. It was nice getting to see you again. Maybe we can do it again sometime?  
xx Stiles  
She couldn’t help the smile that took over her face. Flashes of the night before came back to her and even though she couldn’t remember all of it, she knew they had a good time together. However, nervousness soon overtook her and she found her finger hovering over his contact not able to actually press call yet. She wanted to call him, more than anything, but there was still a nagging thought in the back of her head what if he only said all of that because you were both drinking? She decided to shower and deal with it later.  
Stiles lay on his couch anxiously locking and unlocking his phone waiting for a new message notification. He had spent his morning being productive around the house, washing dishes, vacuuming, doing laundry, attempting to not overthink what he had done the night before. Once he was finished with all the tasks though he couldn’t help but let his mind wander back there no matter how hard he tried to fight it. It was nice getting to see you again. Maybe we can do it again sometime? He didn’t even realize he had written it until he was halfway home. It came crashing down upon him like a wave and he froze mid step. He stood for a few moments, debating running back to her place and figuring out how to get inside, grab the note, and run, making sure she never saw it. Then he decided to leave it because it was true. He did want to see her again.  
He had wanted to see her since the day they broke up almost two years ago. They didn’t end on bad terms, he had moved away for college and after months of barely speaking to each other because they were both so busy they decided to call things off. Then he finished school early and moved back to slc and yet still never managed to run into her. He convinced himself last night was an act of fate. After hoping and wishing he finally managed to run into her. He had been good about not actively seeking her out, telling himself that if it was truly meant to be they would run into each other again. As soon as he saw her in the bar, tight jeans and a low cut top, cheeks flushed, a martini in hand, he knew. He knew it was fate running into her. They were older and wiser and this time they could really get it right.  
He jumped, narrowly avoiding accidentally throwing his phone in shock, when it started ringing. He forgot he has turned the volume all the way up to make sure he didn’t miss it over everything he was doing earlier. She was calling him. As the hours passed he began to thing she wouldn’t even text him but here she was calling him. He was so excited just seeing the notification on his phone that he nearly forgot to actually answer it.  
“Hey.”  
“Hi.” His voice was almost a whisper, mimicking her own.  
Lydia softly smiled and messed with the clip of the pen sitting on the counter in front of her, “sorry I took so long to call.”  
“I was getting worried.” The words slipped out before he could stop them. He wanted the ground to open up and swallow him whole until he heard her light laugh through the speaker.  
“Can I tell you something embarrassing?”  
He only grinned wider, “always.” His tone was teasing and in any other circumstance Lydia probably would’ve rolled her eyes.  
“I was nervous.” She whispered.  
“Nervous?” Did he hear that right? She was nervous? If only she knew how nervous he had been all night which of course then rolled over into the morning. He was an absolute bundle of nerves since he first saw her last night and he couldn’t believe that she felt the same way even for a moment.  
“To call you.” She was still whispering like she was afraid to actually say it out loud.  
“Why?”  
“I don’t know. I thought maybe you didn’t really want to see me and it was only the alcohol talking.” She trailed off in the end, her voice a normal volume now and for the first time since seeing her yesterday Stiles actually felt sad.  
“Lyd...”  
“I know, I know it’s stupid.” Lydia pushed herself back from the counter and started pacing with her palm pressed against her forehead.  
“Yeah it is!” He paused and Lydia froze, she didn’t think he’d actually agree with her. “Of course I want to see you again. The only thing the alcohol did was give me the confidence to actually write it down.”  
She wasn’t sure how but she just knew he was smiling, probably as big as her, and the thought made her heart soar.  
“What about lunch?” She rushed out, scared if she didn’t get it out quickly she wouldn’t actually say it.  
“Lunch?”  
“Yeah. Me. You. Lunch. Tomorrow.” She paused between each word, her own way of teasing him. He laughed softly and she felt accomplished.  
“I’d like that.”  
“Yeah?”  
“More than anything.” Now he was nearly whispering.  
Lydia paused and bit her lip, her cheeks now hurting from smiling so much. “It’s a date.”  
Stiles sat up on his couch, fist pumped the air, and excitedly tapped his feet on the ground. Though his words were calm he was screaming on the inside, “It’s a date.”


End file.
